Updated 5:57 pm, Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Salt Lick Cookbook: A Story of Land, Family and Love (UT Press, $39.95) by Scott Roberts and Jessica Dupuy.

The Salt Lick Cookbook: A Story of Land, Family and Love (UT Press, $39.95) by Scott Roberts and Jessica Dupuy.

Photo: Book Cover

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Beef Ribs

Beef Ribs

Photo: Kenny Braun

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Prime rib

Prime rib

Photo: Kenny Braun

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Scott Roberts shares the restaurant's history as well as recipes in "The Salt Lick Cookbook."

Scott Roberts shares the restaurant's history as well as recipes in "The Salt Lick Cookbook."

Photo: Kenny Braun

Cookbook as rich as legendary Salt Lick

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DRIFTWOOD - Barbecue fans will find great recipes and a history lesson in Scott Roberts' "The Salt Lick Cookbook: A Story of Land, Family and Love" (UT Press, $39.95).

In the 300-plus-page behemoth that's as much coffee-table book as cookbook, Roberts and writer Jessica Dupuy tell the story of how his restaurant, the Salt Lick, became the beloved Central Texas barbecue destination it is today, one that seats 700 and sells almost 1 million pounds of brisket annually.

"I just had to get it off my chest, " Roberts says of the writing process that took more than a year to complete.

The book dives into the story of how his great-grandparents James and Bettie "Mammie" Howard settled in Driftwood; how his grandmother Roxie and grandfather Bill eventually purchased 88 acres of land that would be the future home of the Salt Lick; and how in 1967, his father, Thurman Roberts, marked the spot that would turn into the restaurant's fire pit.

The Salt Lick history lesson is coupled with breathtaking photographs by Kenny Braun, who spent more than six months capturing images of the food and workers at the Salt Lick.

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"(Braun and Dupuy) became enamored with the project and really got the feel of what I was talking about," Roberts says.

Procuring the recipes for the book proved difficult until Roberts found his grandmother's and mother's handwritten cookbooks. The process also included testing the recipes and changing measurements that called for "a lump of butter the size of a chicken egg" or heating a fire-burning oven for an hour and a half.

Recipes in the book come with their own tales, but don't expect to find the recipe for the signature barbecue sauce that's used, bottled and sold at the restaurant.

For obvious reasons, that's one that Roberts is keeping private.

"There's many recipes we didn't include because it would have been thousands of pages long," Roberts says. "We wanted to give people a sampling of recipes that really reflect the story of Salt Lick."

The book also serves as a retrospective for Roberts on his upbringing in Driftwood, which gave him an appreciation for hard work and people who care for their land. It also details his realization that food is used more than just for eating.

"I became aware that food is not just sustenance. It's a common ingredient in social gatherings like Sunday lunches after church at my grandmother's house, " Roberts says.

"The Salt Lick Cookbook," with a glowing foreword by "Man vs. Food" host Adam Richman, gave Roberts insight into how many people care about the sprawling Hill Country restaurant that draws guests from around the world. He also points to a photo of dozens of staff members, which he calls the restaurant's "secret ingredient."

Instructions: Heat smoker to 225 degrees. Remove skin from back of bone side of ribs and discard. Rub each rack of ribs with dry rub for a moderately heavy coating.

Place ribs meat-side down on rack of closed smoker midway from the main heat source. Cook 1/2 hour. Lightly baste each rack with sauce, then turn over and baste meat side. Let temperature of smoker cool to 180 degrees. Baste every 11/2 hours for a total cooking time of 61/2 hours. Check internal temperature of ribs in center of rack, making sure thermometer is not touching bone. If temperature is 160 degrees, ribs are ready for removal. If not, monitor temperature every 15 minutes, until ribs have reached 160 degrees.

Recipes from "The Salt Lick Cookbook" by Scott Roberts and Jessica Dupuy

Salt Lick Prime Rib With Jalapeño-Tomatillo Horseradish Sauce

Makes 20 servings

Prime Rib:

1 (10-pound) prime rib roast

Garlic salt, to taste

Jalapeño-Tomatillo Horseradish Sauce:

12 tomatillos, husked and washed

1 large red onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 jalapeños, chopped

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions: Heat smoker to 225 degrees. Evenly season (medium-heavy) prime rib with garlic salt. Place rib on smoking rack midway from heat source. Do not baste prime rib. Smoke for 2 hours. Check internal temperature at thickest part of prime rib, targeting 125 degrees. If it has not reached 125 degrees, check in 15-minute intervals until temperature is reached. Remove prime rib from smoker and place on wire rack, bone-side down. Serve with Jalapeño-Tomatillo Horseradish Sauce.

For sauce: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeños in medium roasting pan, toss with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until mixture is soft, but do not allow it to color, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to food processor and process until smooth. Add vinegar, horseradish and cilantro, and pulse just to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape into bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

For roasted peppers: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice and combine peppers. Place on baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven until medium roasted. Set aside in container. Slice raw red onion, and add to peppers.

For cheese sauce: Cut cheese into small chunks and place in saucepan over medium-low heat or in a slow cooker. Be careful not to scorch. Add half-and-half when cheese is melted and stir well.

For smoked burger: Combine ground beef and chopped brisket in large mixing bowl. Add barbecue sauce, salt and pepper. Form into burgers and grill on a hot grill about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve on buns with Roasted Peppers and Cheese Sauce.

1 9-inch pie crust, purchased or homemade, baked according to instructions and cooled

For meringue: Place egg whites and cream of tartar in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1-2 minutes.

For filling: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, butter and lemon juice. Add half of the hot water and stir vigorously. Add remaining water and combine well. Slowly add egg yolks. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles. Be careful not to burn. Pour mixture into pie shell, and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling right up to edge of crust. Bake 10-12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.

Instructions: Heat a 12-inch skillet on medium. Drizzle olive oil in pan, and add a dash of kosher salt and 1 to 2 cracks of fresh pepper. Spread barbecue sauce on bread slices.

Sprinkle half the cheese over two slices. Divide brisket between the two sandwiches, placing on top of the cheese. Add greens and top with the remaining cheese. Top each with a bread slice, pressing down gently to set. Place sandwiches in skillet. Cook until crisp and deep golden brown, 5-10 minutes per side, flipping sandwiches back to first side to reheat and crisp, about 15 seconds. Watch sandwiches carefully, checking often to avoid scorching. Serve immediately.